Lonely Raptors blogger in Celtics country says HI!

A different perspective on the Raptors, from a loyal fan & blogger in New England.

Let’s step away from the free-agent & trade madness, and connect with Adam Corsair. He’s the man behind the curtain at www.southofthe6ix.com, a website for fans of the Raptors and Blue Jays. Adam lives in Rhode Island, which is prime country for Boston fans, yet – bless him! – he waves the flags for our teams.

Here are some questions I tossed Adam’s way recently, and his compelling responses:

Tell our readers about how you fell for the Raptors and Jays enough to start a blog.  Do you have any funny stories about being lonely in Celtics and Red Sox country, and the reaction of friends/family to your apparently absurd fandom?

I’ve been a fan of the Jays since I was around 10 years old (I’m 31 now). Growing up in New England, my father raised me to be a contrarian when it comes to Boston-based sports. In short, I was raised to absolutely despise the Red Sox and was told to “pick a team and, no matter what, stick with them.” I picked the Jays and through it all, I’ve stuck with them. So by proxy, I decided to be consistent and follow the Raptors when it comes to basketball. I’ve been loyal ever since. Living in the smallest state in the United States (Rhode Island) all my life, everyone knows everyone. I’m pretty much the lone Jays and Raptors fan and it’s something I take a lot of pride in.

I’ve always enjoyed writing, as well as the analytical/philosophical side of sports. My friends have always told me that my opinions echo that of sports writers and analysts on the radio and that I should consider starting my own Blue Jays and Raptors blog/podcast. It wasn’t until this year that I stepped outside of the whole “weight loss” New Years Resolution that inevitably fizzles out and decided to go all-in with my own website. I figured I’d make it obvious that my perspective is from one that resides south of Toronto by naming my site South of the 6ix. Whether it was one or one million readers and listeners, I’d stick with it and let the predominant Canadian reader and listener know that there is an American out there that feels the same way about the Raptors and Jays as they do. I’m with you guys. I’ve been with you guys.

When it comes to stories, there are too many to count so it may be best to be a bit broad with my answer. When I tell people about my loyalty towards the Jays & Raptors, most of the time I get a look of confusion and immediately get asked “Are you from Canada?” When i say that I am not, they typically just don’t understand why I would pick a non-New England based team, much less a team that’s rooted in another country entirely. I’ve perfected my response towards Celtics and Red Sox fans by saying “Hey, at least I’m not a Lakers or Yankee fan!” To which I get a “That’s so true! OK, yeah, it’s not so bad!” But make no mistake, I rep my teams hard by always having a Jays or Raptors hat on my head, with a Jays or Raptors flag stemmed to my home (depending on the season). My fanhood definitely precedes me.

Which free agents should the Raps be striving to sign?  For instance, how much is enough for Kyle Lowry?  In terms of which free agents the Raptors should be targeting, Lowry is the obvious candidate that is on the mind of all Raptors fans. I know the gut-reaction is to keep the core together and continue to build off of this recent success, but I’m also being a bit cautious myself in terms of what it’ll take to keep him in terms of dollars and term. I think keeping Kyle for the next few years would more than boost the Raptors chances of becoming a real threat in the Eastern Conference, but I also don’t want to see them give him a blank check and ask “What will it take to keep you?” It’s easy to want the Raptors to do what it takes now and not worry about the future, but I’m certainly uncomfortable paying a 35/36 year old point guard a large sum of cash that may inhibit the Raptors’ ability to sign younger players that may be able to make more a difference. So yes, signing Kyle is important, but I wouldn’t do it if it meant leaving the organization hamstrung financially.

Should the Raptors be unable to being him back, though, there are other players I hope they target. Serge goes without saying. PJ Tucker’s defensive intensity completely transformed this team to a much more balanced one, so having a guy like him is much more valuable than I think we realize. I’m not sure I’m completely comfortable with Cory Joseph manning the starting point guard role, so having someone that can supplement him would be wise. Jrue Holiday immediately stands out to me and the Raptors would be wise to pursue him should things with Lowry fall through.

Any thoughts on Masai Ujiri’s selection of OG Anunoby in the draft?

Much like most Raptors fans, I like Masai’s decision to draft OG Anunoby. With such a late pick, I wasn’t expecting to get someone that was necessarily ready to contribute in the near term, but Anunoby certainly has the ability to do so. The Raptors may hold off a bit, as Anunoby is dealing with the ACL injury and perhaps a year with the 905 would serve him best so he can get his feet wet. Regardless, it’s depth that Masai continues to provide this team that gives us the sense that the future is bright.

Rapture Nation, you can visit Adam’s website at www.southofthe6ix.com, follow him on Twitter @ACorsair21 & @SouthOfThe6ix, and subscribe to his podcast!

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